Lazarus and the Fourth Gospel: Part Two

As a follow-up to my Lazarus post, I wanted to also mention Witherington’s What Have They Done With Jesus? as an even more complete resource for the BD=Lazarus case.

Also, one pro-Lazarus item that I didn’t see in Witherington’s coverage of the topic (that’s not to say it isn’t there; I could’ve overlooked it) but was one of the points in Dr. Steve Hunt’s lectures (as well as a paper I listened to him present for the Society of Biblical Literature) which sold me on Lazarus is the role of the sudarion in John 20.3-9:

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

(John 20.3-9 NIV)

Notice the role of the sudarion (the head-covering) in the Beloved Disciple’s reaction to the tomb. The text goes out of its way to identify the head-covering apart from the rest of the linens. Peter goes into the tomb, sees the sudarion, but nothing registers. The BD walks into the tomb and immediately believes. I’m convinced that is because of the BD’s own experience with the sudarion; seeing that thing all over again sealed the deal for him.

Quick flashback:

   Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ”Take away the stone,” he said. 
      ”But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”   Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

   So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

   When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. 
      Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

(John 11.38-44 NIV)

Okay, so this has the makings of a good story, doesn’t it? All of the literary connections are there; they’re obvious. The resurrection of Lazarus in John 11 is the climactic point of this book. Why? Because Jesus has revealed himself as the Resurrection and the Life. The layout of the Fourth Gospel is all about Jesus revealing himself through signs and wonders – as Torah, as water, as light. But the pinnacle of those revelations – or maybe it would be better to call it the culmination of those revelations – is when Jesus reveals himself as the Resurrection and the defeat of death. Here in this Judean gospel, he does just that.

This is a big-time moment in the biblical narrative.

As for Lazarus? I’m going out on a limb and guessing that this whole personal experience of death and resurrection was a pretty big deal for the guy. Try dying, only to “wake up” to your close friend Jesus beside you and your family and entire community are huddled around. On top of everything else, you’re all wrapped up – like a dead person! Imagine waking up like that. It goes without saying that this is the most dramatic moment Lazarus has had to deal with. I am betting that Lazarus had images and sounds and scents from that day that stuck with him forever. And one of those memories would have been being released from his dead guy outfit.

Fast forward to John 20 and the empty tomb. Peter and “the other disciple” (to whom Mary Magdalene would have been running) approach the tomb. Both of these guys see the linen cloths. Peter keeps heading into the grave. But this other disciple… this beloved disciple… Lazarus – well he stays put for a minute, in what I think is a “Could it be that…” moment.

The stone moved from the grave. The scent of death. This guy has been here before. 

Lazarus steps into the grave, inside of which is a confused Peter and a sudarion, the head-covering used for burials. The garment Lazarus himself had worn just a short time ago. At this point I believed it clicked. The connection was made. The “other disciple” was able to believe in a Jesus who resurrects because he, Lazarus, had personally experienced that resurrection.